They could have been
by Onde Tu Esteves
Summary: Riley, Maya and Missy are great friends, but they didn't realize what was happening to Missy. He was and remains a great idiot.
1. It's Christmas

**Hi,**

 **I hope you had a great Christmas.** **I know my English hurts you, but I'm trying, I'm sorry! I need you to be bad and correct me please**!

* * *

He was right there, with his messy hair, a carefully trimmed beard, his inseparable black Jacket and his worn flirtation smile. His 27 years old had already come and Missy had noticed that the years had only been good for him. Riley commented on something that Missy didn't hear. Maya laughed hitting her with a paper napkin.

"Stop!"

Missy fought back, but the napkin hit someone who was sit behind Maya. The woman with straight red hair turned her attention to the table where they girls are sit and her date's brown eyes imitated her.

"I'm sorry, I wanted hit this blonde girl here who apparently have some mental issue!"

Said Missy pointing at Maya, the redhead woman did a fake smile and turn her attention at her date.

"So Missy"

"Sorry?"

Said the confused brunette to Riley who stopped write down in her notebook.

"Did you already buy the food to our party?"

"I did it. Yesterday I went to the supermarket"

"Josh took her for shopping since I had to work late in gallery and how we can see going to the supermarket was very productive."

Maya said referring to the date who as happing next to them, the girls look at the next table.

"She seems be a nice person" Riley said excited – "They was talking until late, last night."

"Well... Anything else, Riley?"

Missy said trying to change the subject. The brunette look at her confused and then turned her attention at the list.

"No, We have to decide who will cook."

Maya Laughed.

" I don't vote for Missy!"

"And I don´t vote for you, Maya!"

"Do those cooking classes That I took with Charlie worth for something, Girls!" Said Rile writing down her name. "So you will clean up the house."

"It is so unfair!" Said Maya with her sad face "Missy! We are on the world who is on evolution, Missy! Just because I'm a woman, Missy! Doesn't mean that I have to clean up, Missy! The house!"

"Maya, Just because, Maya, you say my name, Maya, between sentences, Maya, Doesn't mean, Maya, that Riley has to choose me, MAYA!

"Alright, Missy won, five Mayas against four Missys."

Missy did a dance celebrating her victory and Maya hit Riley with a napkin.

"We friendship is over now!

Maya crossed her arms and turn her chair toward another table, Riley hit her pencil on the notebook while she look at the blonde, Maya turn around doing a sad face who make Riley smile.

\- AWWW Peach!

\- OH NO!

Missy said indignant.

"You can help with decoration, I guess. Josh can help Missy with clean up.

"This love triangle never existed!"

Said Missy crossing her arms.

"I love you mine little sheep!"

Riley hung Missy and kiss her forehead.

"You lair, you hates me!"

"What is so bad about do it?

"You know what happen on parties" said Missy with disgust "Do you remember what's happened on Beth's party?

Riley did a disgusted face.

"Ughh! Alright, what else…"

The brunette turn her attention to the next table, the redhead woman was caress her date's hand while he brushed her hair strands off her face.

The relationship between Missy and Josh wasn't one of best, They know each other when she was nine years old, Missy was a park with her parents and Josh with Matthews Family. When Missy was a kid, she had a shameful period between her 6 – 12 years old, she just wore clothes with sheep drawings or things who reminded sheeps, because her mom had said that little men who live out of Earth look for kids who don't wear sheep's pajamas, her mom did it just to make her little girl wear pajamas. And like a typical older brother, her brother did her watch a documentary about Aliens one day, she was so scared and cried a whole month. Missy began connect sheeps with safety and it was so complicated to her. When she turn 12 years old, she starts therapy with a psychologist, a few months later she let it go, but she can't deny that she keep a drawing of a sheep under her pillow.

Josh was kid a naughty boy and when he saw that little girl on her sheep pajamas, he starts make fun of her, Missy got angry and hit his head with a sand bucket. They Family came up to them and Missy's mum told her off for hurt him for thirty minutes, then Missy turned away and came back to play far away from the others kids, Riley who has watched everything came up to Missy and ask her if she might enjoy with her. Since Missy don't said anything, Riley begin talk and She praised her pajamas and told Missy about her favorite Teddy bear. Maya thought Missy was weird and didn't want Missy in their group, until one day when Missy was 12 years old, Missy saved Maya and thenceforth the blonde don't let her go and care for her like a sister.

Josh only shows up twice a year and they had attempt a good relationship until Josh open his mouth and make fun of her eventually, but sometimes Josh is kind and seems a nice friend, But in most of the time Missy want throw her geometry book in his face.

The puberty comes with all changes, Maya who has a crush on Josh since she was kid, she over it when Maya meet new boy at school, Riley still gentle, kind and amazing little girl, but now taller. The puberty comes and Missy was the first, all that boys who made fun of her now want go on a date with her, but she never forgot what they had done, then she is never was available.

Even Josh who doesn't see Missy for a while was surprised when he saw the 16 years old pretty girl standing at the Matthews door with a full box of Christmas gifts at Christmas morning, He looked at her throughout the dinner, He can't help it. He begun make fun of her just to get her attention. Josh commucicated that he got in UNY so he was moving to NY. Cory was trying replace ornaments on the tree because no one knows how Auggie Knocked over, Cory asked Josh to call Riley and Maya. Josh went to the bedroom and called his niece and her friend, the two girls went to the living room leaving them alone in the bedroom.

Missy was busy texting, Josh with his hands on his pockets walked in the room and sit next to her watching her smiling at the phone, Missy turn her attention to him.

"what?"

"Hmm... I think" He support one of his arms between the bay window and Missy getting closer of her, She never saw his bright brown eyes so close and for the first time she feels like something new was going on between them. " NY is s getting more …. Interesting, I believe it will be best years, don't you think?"

"why?"

She said confused, Josh smiled with his famous flirtatious smile for the first time just for her. She looked at him confused by his new move, he lean and brushing a strand of her hair back from her face and Missy freezes, she can't think or move. She felt his fingers slide slowly on her jaw, Josh was going to kiss her, he was going to kiss her, when she realize it she feels like she has a thousand butterflies in her stomach. He look at her lips for a second, and then look at her eyes, Josh leans even more and she could feel his breath against her skin.

* * *

Thank you!

See ya!


	2. It's Christmas II

"Josh, You ungrateful brother. Where are you?"

They heard Cory's yell and Josh stood back from her and smiled.

"You look gorgeous sheep!" He touches her nose tip slightly with his forefinger "baa!"

He laughed and Missy shove him.

"I'm going!"

Missy felt her cheek burn, she never thought that someday Joshua Gabriel Matthews could make her feel like that, she doesn't want to go down and face him again, but Riley and Maya probably are wondered why Missy doesn't show up, Missy walked back and forth for fifteen minutes until she heard Riley yells her name.

"Missy came here, please!"

Missy took a breath twice and go down the stair. The girls were eating the famous Topanga's chocolate pie one of her favorite.

"Don't be so anxious, Missy. You have to make he think that you aren't too into him or he'll run away. Just take a break."

Said Maya and Topanga agreed.

"I hate teenager!"

Said Cory, he was wrapped by the fairy light.

"He, who?"

Said Josh as he doesn't care and Missy looked at him for the first time and all those weird emotions came back.

"Missy's talking with someone."

Said Riley excited doesn't know it was by the pier, by her friend or both.

"I didn't know that sheep can go on a date."

Missy bites her lip.

"Boys!" Said Topanga "Missy come here and take a piece of pie that I know you love!"

Topanga stood to take a plate and Missy take a deep breath when she knew what to do.

"No, thank Mrs. Matthews!"

Topanga looked at her, she doesn't believe what she was listening and everybody stopped and looked at her like she had said something unbelievable.

"Are you okay, Missy?"

Said Topanga worry.

"I'm feeling a little under the weather."

"Come her, my angel!"

Said Topanga with her arms open, Missy walk at her who hung Missy and put one of her hands on Missy's forehead.

"You are a bit warm; I think you are getting a fever."

Her friends looked at her worry.

"Well, I'm going home."

"Of course Honey" Topanga let her go and walked until sideboard "Take someone piece of pie when you feel better you can eat it."

"No, thanks! I don't wanna bother you, Mrs. Matthews. Bye!"

Said Missy and walk at the door, Josh looked at her trying figured her out, but she doesn't care and walks to the hallway. When she opened up the door whose give access to the street she hears a noise on the stairs and a childish voice says her name.

"Missy?"

"I'm here, Auggie!"

She gave a few step towards the stairs and saw a little boy riding on his Uncle's shoulder, he has a red coat in his hands, and Josh left his nephew on the floor, Auggie ran to Missy.

"You forgot your coat Missy, I could be even sicker."

"Thanks!"

Missy caressed his hair; he smiles at her and walks up the stairs. For the first time, she noticed Josh standing next to her.

"Do you wanna a ride? As you are sick I think that…"

Missy interrupted him.

"No, thanks!"

"Look, It's a mistletoe!" Said Auggie showed up the ceiling, he was upstairs. Josh and Missy looked up and saw that they were underneath it "daddy is going to be angry, he said no mistletoe."

He shrugged his shoulders and walk to the hallway. Missy looked at Josh who is staring at her.

"So" she put the coat on "it's better I go.

She took off her knit cap that was in her pocket and put it on her head.

"I hope you feel better soon!"

"Thank you!"

She turns to the door and takes a step but Josh holds her arms stopping her.

"What?"He fixes up her knit cap.

"Take care!"

"I will!"

He spilled his hand on her hair tidy it, he bitted his lips and Missy feels her stomach turn when he leaned and left a Kiss on her cheek, they look each other eyes, she wanted his kiss but at the same time don't, because he'd made her a fool before. Josh probably has been a jerk and when he got it, he will make fun of her about it.

She feels his hand slide into her nape pulling her closer and he took her lips. How would Missy describe it? She had no idea. His lips gently touch hers, she felt her legs wobbly, something like an electric current passing through her body and the only thing she knew was that she wanted more. The kiss lasted for a few seconds until a childish scream rang down the hallway that made them pull away. They looked each other with no words.

"Uncle Josh, I found it!"

Missy pulls away and walks faster to the door.


	3. You have feelings for me

The plan was to avoid Josh or events in which he possibly would be for nine months. Yes, that would be great, but what really happened was Maya got suspicious that something had happened because Missy was further away from their group and to reassure her friend, Missy said she was really busy, she even got a part-time job to justify. What made her sure she was being an idiot was when she went to Topanga's to do a sociology assignment with Riley, who was helping her mother that day, three months after what happened on Christmas. Missy thought the last table near the door quieter and making notes in her notebook when Riley was able to stay a few minutes with her. Missy felt like one of the hot chocolates crunchy that only Topanga could do, she tried to find a friend to train her best puppy eyes, however, what she saw was the new couple on the other side, Josh was with a blonde Missy recognized as one of last year's senior cheerleaders.

Riley approached the table where they were and winked at Josh giving the blonde a piece of one of the best pies in the house, the blonde smiled and Riley in her sixteen years looked like an eight-year-old super-excited girl, Riley pointed to the table Where Missy was and Missy looked away.

"So?"

Riley said sitting down next to her.

"I don't know... I swear, I tried to think of something, but I only thought about that crunchy hot chocolate...

Missy looked sad and Riley laughed.

"Obviously, I'm going to get you a slice of chocolate pie too!"

"Did I tell you how much I love you?"

"No, you're too cold to me these days." Riley laughed "Say it!"

"I love you Riley Matthews and I will love you even more if you bring me everything you said to me!"

The brunette got up and walked hummed to the counter, Missy smiled, she loves Riley just that way she is. Your eyes accidentally stopped at the table where the new couple was sitting and she met his brown eyes staring at her. Missy back her attention to them assignment barely realizing her friend had left her request on the table, she only realized that something was different when another chair beside her moved and she turned her attention to the chair hoping to find Riley sit there, but it was Josh who was there, He pulled out her dish with a piece of pie and started to eat it.

"Long time no see or as my friend says Who is alive always appears!"

He said nonchalantly.

"Put it down, Joshua!"

She said annoyed at his presence on her table and because he was eating a slice of pie that Riley had crab to her as well.

"Well, it's just a slice of pie!"

"That's my slice of pie!"

"I can't believe you're eating the pie I had got for Missy!"

Riley said mad.

"Who's my favorite niece?"

"Me!"

Riley said with her biggest smile.

"You are the only one!"

Missy said annoyed, Josh took a little of her hot chocolate.

"Uncle Josh!"

"Yuck!"

Missy said in disgust.

"I did not know you were disgusted with my saliva."

Josh commented lighthearted and Missy shot him a deadly look.

"I don't know where your mouth has been in."

Josh Laughed, arched his eyebrows and said ironically.

"Don't you Know?"

Yeah, she did, Missy already knew she could expect that from him, Josh has an ace up his sleeve to use against her and she hated herself for it."

"Who cares?"

He shrugged and ran his finger over the whipped cream of the pie.

"You are here!" I said the blonde hugging him "I thought I had left."

"I just came to see what the kids are doing."

He smiled at the blonde and left a kiss on her cheek.

"Can we go now?"

"Of course!"

He turned to Missy and smiled, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her notebook, but something strange was passed in her nose which made her turn her attention to the dark hair man who laughed at her.

"You asshole!"

She said trying to clean up the whipped cream.

"I'll see you later, kids!"

He left a kiss on Riley's cheek and walked away hand in hand with the blonde.

 **-########-#########-##############-##########**

Missy was in the high school's parking lot, that was her first day as a senior and by some miracle, her biology teacher who has taught her for ages had dismissed the class a few minutes earlier, a fact that she said: "only happens once in a million." Then Missy decided to take a bit of sunbathing while she was waiting for her friends. As the parking lot was empty, Missy took the opportunity to lie down on one of those benches. She put on her earphones and picked up a book that her English teacher decided it was the first assignment of the year and started to read it.

Some students began to make their way to the parking lot, and Missy heard some of Riley's friends squeal then she pull out one of her earphones to find out what was going on.

"He's so hot!"

"Does he date anyone here?"

The blonde smiled as she played with her hair looking at the other side of the parking lot, Missy followed her gaze and saw the dark hair boy in his black leather jacket, faded pants and a shirt who favors his defined muscles, he put his helmet on the handlebars of his motorcycle and smiled at the girls. Missy rolled her eyes when she watches them, she got up and tossed her book into her backpack walking to where the boy was.

"Look who we got here! What's it? Did you miss hook up with high schoolers or is it a kinda difficult to get that closer with college girls?"

He laughed and turned his attention to her, Josh leaned back resting his weight on his arms leaning on the bike.

"Why do you ask? Are you jealous? You know that you're the prettiest!

"Oh, Do you swear?"

She said with her best flirty smile imitating the blonde girl, Josh got off of his motorcycle and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

"I think I already said that, didn' I?"

He flashed his best smile flirting with her, Missy approached and toyed with the zipper of his jacket not looking in his eyes.

"I don't remember!"

She blinked her eyes with a sad countenance.

"Um ..." she turned her attention to him who was looking up at the sky and then turned his eyes to her with a dangerous smirk, Missy felt his hands on her waist bringing her to him almost knocking her down with his quickness holding her against his chest "Then I better say it again." He leaned into her right ear. " in a way you won't forget." She felt his breath on her neck, Josh's nose traced a line from her neck to her ear which made her nearly lose control of her legs and she felt an electric current flowing through her body, Josh whispered huskily in her ear highlighting each word. "You're so fucking beautiful, Missy Bradford."

Her eyes were closed, her hands still on his chest due to fright when he pulled her closer and his hands tightly around her waist so she wouldn't fall. Missy opened her eyes and saw him close, his eyes looking at her intensely and she felt angry at herself, he had won their game again and she was being a fool again. Why could he do that to her? Why does he get her completely unarmed, waiting anxiously for his next move?

He approached his lips from hers, Missy felt her heartbeat race and she closed her eyes again, she felt his lips touch the right corner of her mouth lightly, Josh laid his forehead on hers and Missy felt his nose brushed against hers, she tugged with no patience his jacket and tilting her own face, she felt his breath on her lips and a slight touch barely noticeable from his lips on hers, but the sound of Josh's laugh made her opened her eyes, his eyes staring at her in amusement and she was confused.

"I think you should improve your self-control, little sheep. You're so into mine, baa!"

She pulled him away quickly which made him laughed hard, Missy bit into the inside of her mouth, her brain had apparently melted since she couldn't formulate any sentence.

"I know you really want to kiss me right now, don't deny it!"

"I'm not crazy!"

She said annoyed what made him try to stop laughing.

"Look, you're still going to beg me for it."

He gave his biggest self-assured smile to her that irritated her even more.

"Actually, it's obviously you who wanna kiss me so badly."

"Really? How did you get this brilliant conclusion?"

He crossed his arms and stared at her waiting for her explanation.

"Yeah, you've been trying to kiss me since Christmas, and it's always you who takes the initiative, that means you have feelings for me, but you don't wanna admit it. What happened to Joshua? This isn't you!"

A smile of victory rose on her lips at the sight of him speechless, but they were interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Missy, where have you been? We were looking for you. Uncle Josh!"

Riley said approaching, Missy interrupted her eyes contact with Josh and saw the smiley brunette dragging Maya.

"Right here, waiting for you two, so I run into your uncle here hitting on those girls because the college girls are a lot more complicated to him, You know, his brain has not evolved enough yet."

Missy slapped Josh on his arm, then he stopped gazing at her and turned his attention to Riley.

"What are you doing here, Uncle Josh?"

"Your mother asked me to pick you up, apparently she needs you to do something."

"Oh, but we were going to do something!"

Riley said sadly to her friends.

"Your mother needs you, Maya and I are going to be fine. We can do something... Any ideas?

Missy turned to Maya.

"I have no idea."

"There's a football tryout, you two can watch"

Said Riley maliciously what made Maya turn red.

"What's on the football team?" Missy looked at the blonde and remembered what it was. "He'll be there, you Texan boy.

"I don't care about that asshole!"

Maya said annoyed that her friends had brought him into their conversation.

"Wow, what happened?"

Missy said wonder about her friend's behavior toward the boy.

"He was kinda rude with Maya today, but it wasn't that big deal, they'll probably be at each other's throats tomorrow.

"I hope Huckleberry breaks his leg, I don't care!"

"I heard there's a new kid from California and he's a great player and maybe cute!"

"That could be interesting!"

Said Missy smiling for Maya, Josh rolled his eyes.

"Let's go!"

"See you later, bye!"

Missy dragged Maya through the school parking lot, upon came on the football field the tryouts had already begun. Lucas was one of those responsible for choosing the new team along with Zay who called the girls to sit next to him. Missy had no trouble identifying the new boy, his name was Dylan, he was seventeen, his skin was tanned by the California sun, he had broad shoulders and yeah, they hadn't lied about him being handsome. Dylan sat next to Missy and began to talk to her, she was a very nice and easy-going person, she had discovered that one of her favorite sports was surfing because he had grown up in a seaside town, his parents moved to New York due to his mother's job and that he missed the beaches. At some point Maya walked away because Lucas wanted to talk to her, apparently, he apologized for making a joke about her height something he knew Maya hated. Missy and Maya tried to guess who would be the chosen ones, Missy guess right two of her guesses and Maya one, both agreed that Dylan would be the best player this year.

The day ended with everyone at Mcdonalds, Missy got Dylan's number, Lucas being super nice to Maya which made her think of throwing her french fries on him in case she didn't like them, that was unlikely.


End file.
